Doppler ultrasonographic assessment in an experimental model of feline abortion

BLANCO PG; TÓRTORA M; VERCELLINI R; CARRANZA A; RODRÍGUEZ R; RUBE A; ARIAS DO; GOBELLO C

Hannover

Congreso; 18th EVSSAR Congress; 2015

European Veterinary Society of Small Animal Reproduction

Introduction and aim. Doppler parameters have not been described for feline pathological gestation. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the resistance index (RI) of uterine artery in an experimental model of abnormal feline pregnancy pharmacologically induced.Materials and methods. Fourteen mixed-bred pregnant queens, 30-35 days after mating were recruited. The animals were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups: a medicated group (MG; n=7), where the animals received 10 mg/kg of aglepristone to interrupt their gestation (1), and a control non-treated group (CG; n=10). Color and pulsed-wave Doppler evaluations of uterine artery were performed at the initiation of the treatment (day 0) and then every other day during 8 days. Peak systolic and end diastolic velocity were measured to automatically calculate RI (2,3). Doppler parameters of the left and right uterine arteries were compared using a Student?s t-tests. Repeated measures ANOVA followed by Tukey test was carried out to compare both groups (SPSS 18.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results. No differences were found between left and right uterine arteries (P > 0.1), therefore, values of PSV, EDV and RI were averaged. At the beginning of the study, no differences were observed for RI of uterine artery between groups (P>0.1). All the treated animals interrupted their pregnancy 6.6 ± 3.7 days after the first day of medication. Resistance index of uterine artery decreased in CG, while it increased in MG from day 2 after treatment onwards (P